Alabama Republicans voiced their optimism after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday proposed a replacement to the Obama administration’s so-called “Clean Power Plan.” The state’s attorney general and public service commissioners will thoroughly review the new proposal’s impact on consumers.
The replacement, entitled the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by establishing emission guidelines while still allowing the states individually to decide how they will meet the guidelines. The ACE Rule replaced the Obama administration’s “overly prescriptive and burdensome Clean Power Plan (CPP) and instead empowers states, promotes energy independence, and facilitates economic growth and job creation,” according to an EPA press release.
The proposal also came as a major victory for Alabama, as the Obama administration’s now-repealed rule was viewed as intentionally crippling the state’s coal industry and hurting energy consumers.
This led to celebration by Republican leaders in the Yellowhammer State, who declared the Obama days of job-killing regulations are in the past.
“President Trump’s plan to roll back the Obama Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ represents an important step towards returning power to the states and further dismantling the Obama-era regulatory regime,” Rep. Martha Roby (AL-2) said in a statement.
She continued, “For eight long years, Alabamians suffered under an overly-empowered EPA that burdened hardworking men and women with countless overreaching regulations. I believe that American innovation and our unique entrepreneurial spirit are the keys to meeting the energy challenges of the 21st Century. The President’s proposed ACE plan embraces this outlook and will give Alabama businesses certainty moving forward.”
I applaud these changes. They will protect the environment while also protecting Alabama jobs. The Obama era rules were overreaching and job killing. https://t.co/27QHbxgQw4
— Rep. Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) August 21, 2018
Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1) is in the unique position of having the Port of Mobile, which gets a massive 50 percent of its revenue from coal alone, in his district.
“Alabama has a proud tradition of supporting the coal industry, including the Port of Mobile, which is one of the largest coal export terminals in the country,” he told Yellowhammer News. “With this new policy, the Trump Administration is again acting to end the war on coal and promoting a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that protects the environment and empowers states.”
Tremendous news! Thank you, @realDonaldTrump! ??
“This is a victory for Alabama and all the businesses and families that depend on affordable and reliable energy.” https://t.co/FakbPRofmM
— Twinkle Cavanaugh (@TwinkleforAL) August 21, 2018
Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-3) echoed his House colleagues’ praise of President Trump and support for Alabama jobs.
“Thank you, President Trump, for rolling back these overreaching Obama-era regulations,” he said in a statement. “The previous job-killing regulations put the power in the hands of the EPA, instead of the states, where it should be. I applaud President Trump for offering a replacement.”
This is great news for Alabama. This will protect the environment while also protecting Alabama jobs. https://t.co/JD7q7PClmu
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) August 21, 2018
Sen. Richard Shelby also voiced his backing of the ACE rule, saying it is pro-jobs and fosters affordable, reliable power.
“The Clean Power Plan was a one-size-fits-all mandate by the EPA that fundamentally hurt businesses and restricted economic growth,” Shelby explained. “We must instead set guidelines that are consistent with current law and respective of states’ rights.”
He added, “President Trump’s alternative rule ensures that states can reduce emissions and provide reliable power at an affordable cost for the American people.”
In a statement, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office affirmed their longtime opposition to Obama’s CPP and indicated the new ACE rule would be thoroughly reviewed.
“The Alabama Attorney General’s Office has a history of actively opposing the Obama administration’s costly and overreaching Clean Power Plan,” Marshall said in a statement. “In fact, Alabama was one of 25 states calling for a stay of the CPP which was granted by the Supreme Court in 2016.”
Marshall concluded, “Our attorneys are carefully reviewing the president’s new proposal.”
Alabama’s elected officials on the Public Service Commission are also optimistic ahead of their review process.
“We know for a fact that President Trump has America’s energy consumers in mind, making it more fair and a competitive market instead of what we saw under the CPP,” Commissioner Jeremy Oden told Yellowhammer News.
He explained that they would be going through the new ACE rule with a fine-tooth comb for Alabama’s utility customers.
“We’ll be studying it, we’re going to look at it very clearly to see what the impact is going to be for the State of Alabama and go from there,” Oden concluded.
His fellow associate commissioner, Commissioner Chip Beeker, was profuse in his praise of the president.
“President Trump is doing the things that he campaigned on, that he said he would do, especially when it comes to reversing what Obama did,” Beeker said to Yellowhammer News.
He then gave an example of how President Trump already has helped real Alabamians in a tangible way.
“Some of the things that he has previously done with the EPA to allow people to get back into the coal industry is very exciting to me,” Beeker emphasized. “This is wonderful – this is great news. We’re going to be using some more coal. I know that Randy Johnson has opened a new operation with a bunch of employees, and there’s nothing but great news for the nation regarding coal and particularly Alabama, where we have an abundance of it.”
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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